Charity game helps veterans

NORWALK - Officially, the final score of Thursday's Tostitos Homecoming Party Bowl at Cerritos College's Falcon Stadium was Team Freedom 26, Team Liberty 20. The real winners, however, were the military veterans helped by the Got Your Six organization and Pat Tillman Foundation.

Cerritos College hosted the event Thursday, which began with a celebrity flag football game and ended with a concert by the Gym Class Heroes. The teams, made up almost entirely of military veterans, were coached by current Ohio State coach Urban Meyer (Freedom) and Florida State legend Bobby Bowden (Liberty), and featured ringers Kurt Warner (Freedom) and Marcus Allen (Liberty). Actor Owen Wilson also played and made the game-winning interception in the end zone on the final play of the game.

"For Tostitos to recognize our veterans means a lot, not only to (us playing) but our whole military family. It's truly a nice homecoming."

The veterans, all of whom were introduced individually before the game, knew they'd be playing a charity contest, but had no idea about their celebrity coaches or teammates, and were completely blown away by the large crowd that came out.

"It was all a surprise," said five-year Navy veteran Donier Felton, "the coaches, the jerseys, the people in the stands. It was really nice."

Warner, the former Pro Bowl quarterback who led the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl title, opened the game under center for Team Freedom, but also saw time on the offensive line and at receiver, where he caught a pair of touchdowns.

"(Tostitos) reached out to us, and I was on the first plane (to participate)," said Warner. "I said, `Sign me up. It sounds like a blast."'

Bowden, the winningest coach in NCAA FBS history, coached a similar game for troops in Iraq last year. When asked to participate again, he gladly accepted.

"I'm glad to do it," said Bowden, who retired in 2009 with a 377-129-4 record and two national titles (1993, 1999) at Florida State. "I don't think you can praise military people enough."

Allen, also a former Super Bowl MVP and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played less than Warner, choosing instead to encourage the veterans of Team Liberty and work the officials from the sideline.

"What better way to say thank you to our veterans," said the former Heisman Trophy winner. "This is a way of saying thank you and it was a lot of fun."

After the game, a $125,000 check was presented to Got Your Six and the Pat Tillman Foundation.